Blog of the Rouge River Bird Observatory
at the University of Michigan-Dearborn

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Spring surveys: Week 8

We're in the final stretch of spring migration. In fact, the week ending 3 June will be the last 7-day survey week of the season. The next 7-day period will be surveyed 4 or 5 days, but since things are winding down, I feel I need to sleep past 5 AM for the first time in a month!

This week, 74 species were recorded on campus. There are still northern/boreal-nesting birds trickling through. They included

Olive-sided Flycatcher (2 June)

Yellow-bellied Flycatcher (1 and 3 June)

Swainson's Thrush (28 and 31 May on campus, but through the period at my house in east Dearborn)

Magnolia Warbler (30 May)

Canada Warbler (29 and 31 May).

Other species of interest that nest regionally, but not on-site, included

Acadian Flycatcher (30 and 31 May)

Veery (31 May)

Chestnut-sided Warbler (28 May)

American Redstart (30 and 31 May and 3 Jun)

Ovenbird (28 and 29 May)

Mourning Warbler (3 on 31 May, 2 on 1 June)

Common Yellowthroat (31 May, 2 on 3 June)

Hooded Warbler (28 May).

Of interest to me was the reappearance of Brown Creepers. I'd been seeing them regularly through the early part of migration at the north end of campus near the Rouge River. One in particular was singing up a storm. The last time I heard or saw one was 3 May. Then one showed up near the usual place on 28 May, and two were together there on 3 June. We've had nesting records before, so I am keeping my eyes peeled for a whole family.